Charles Paul Brown
1935 – 2014
“Man’s true nature and true heritage is to be physically immortal.”
People Unlimited and the growing global community of immortalists has lost a great advocate in the person of Charles Paul Brown. For over four decades, Charles spoke and wrote on the subject of physical immortality with singular passion and eloquence. Before longevity had even entered the mainstream jargon, Charles was declaring that the time is now to shrug off our old deathist ways and embrace a new and unlimited potential for the human species.
Declaring that immortality was the true destiny of mankind, Charles exhibited a deep commitment to his conscience in refusing to dilute his message even in the face of withering reactionary response. On the Larry King Show in 1991, he artfully dueled over scripture with Reverend Jerry Falwell, showing that death is not sanctioned by the Bible, and in fact, is revealed to be “the last enemy.” At the end of the show, Larry King told him: “I hope you’re right.
It was his great purpose in life to help overcome the superstition and ignorance that have traditionally blocked a deeper communication and more whole-hearted embracing of our immortal potential. He was the great grandson of the famous abolitionist John Brown. Just as John Brown had dedicated his life to ending the slavery of African Americans, Chuck was committed to breaking the slavery of death.
He spoke in 26 countries on four continents and touched the lives of thousands. Along with James Strole and Bernadeane, he founded the first dedicated community of immortals that has evolved into People Unlimited today.
Those of us who knew Chuck personally knew him to be a man of great power and tenderness. He touched us with his beautiful singing and had a true entertainer’s sparkle. We also knew that he struggled with receiving his own words and living his own inspiration. While the ideas of immortality burned brightly within him, the living of it often eluded him. Too much stress and not enough exercise undoubtedly contributed to the heart disease and Parkinson’s from which he suffered.
As anyone who has grieved for a loved one knows, the explanations hardly mitigate the loss. Rather, to honor his memory, we re-dedicate ourselves to living the life he envisioned and so compellingly spoke of to so many – a life free of death.
- Joe Bardin